Collapsible stand



June 11, 1929. E, M, SIMS 1,716,466

COLLAPS I BLE STAND Filed July 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 11, 1929. E. M. SIMS COLLAPSIBLE sum) Filed July 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 11, 1929.

UNETED STATES? 1,716,466 rarest crates.

ERNEST M. SIMS, F ELKHART, INDTANA.

COLLAPSIBLE STAND.

Application filed July 5, 1927. Serial No. 203,635.

' sition form a self-contained upright structure.

Another object of the invention is to maintain the supports in each unit'rigidly spaced from each other to maintain the entire stand in operative position when the units have been spaced from each other.

It is also an object of the invention to provide in addition to a stand with twolegged supports having collapsible connecting members for the units, other connections extending from a leg of one unit diagonally across the stand to a leg of another unit.

It is also an object of the invention to provide the connecting elements for the units with means for limiting the movement of said connecting elements when the stand is placed to operative position, said means being also adapted to maintain the supporting units suitably spaced from each other when the units have been moved to collapsed position.

lVith those and numerous other objects in View, an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing to which reference is made in the following de- 7 scription Fig. 1 shows perspectively the stand in OPBI'Q'UWZ; position;

F 1g. 2 is a similar perspective View of the stand in collapsed condition;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view upon the stand :on a slightly larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a supporting unit, shown extended to operative position in full lines, and showing in dotted lines the relation of the parts in collapsed condition;

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional View on line 66 of Fig.4.

The drawings illustrate the supporting structure of the stand only, the top being not shown, as the structure is adapted to receive removably any fiat top of the desired configuration.

The structure comprises two supporting units 1 and 2, each consisting of a pair of legs 3 and 4, which preferably are made of angle iron and which are provided with flarmg foot portions 5. The tops of the legs in each unit are rigidly interconnected by trans verse members 6 having a vertical outer wall 7 fixedly connected to an outer flange of the legs 3 or 4 respectively of the pertaining unit, and having two vertical angular flanges 8 extending about the other flange of the legs 3 and 4 of each unit. As shown more clearly in Fig. 6, the transverse member is formed of sheet metal, bent to provide not only the two fiange 'engaging portions 7 and 8 but also a horizontal flange 9 which rests on the tops of the legs of the structure, to provide additional reinforcement. The legs 3 and 4 respectively of each unit are, furthermore,

rigidly interconnected intermediate their tops and foot portions by transverse bars I 10 preferably in the form of angleirons,

one flange of which is placed horizontally. These transverse bars 10, however, do not extend to the veryinner corners of theangle iron legs 3 and4 of the supporting units, but are slightly spaced from the same.

The units 1 and 2 each of which as stated consists of a pair of legs rigidly interconnected, are movably connected with each other by means of collapsible braces arranged at different levels, the braces at the different levels being of the same construction.' Reference is, therefore, made in the following to the upper one of these bracing structures only. r

The legs 3 of the two units as well as their legs 4 are flexibly connected by. bars 11 and 12 which are pivotally mounted at their outer ends by pins 13 to the flanges of the pertaining legs, and which are pivotally connected intermediate the pertaining legs by the pivot bolt 14. The brace portion 12 extends considerably beyond the pivot bolt 14, the extending portion being alongside the other brace bar 11 when the structure is in operative position, Fig. 1.

Aslidable sleeve 15 embraces the overlapping parts of the bars 11 and 12 to maintain the same in alinement against collapse or rocking movement about their pivot bolt 14. vlVhen it is desired, however, to move the bars 11 and 12 relatively to each other, the sleeve 15 may be shifted over the shorter bar 11.

The outer ends of these bars, furthermore, are provided each with an angular extension 25 adapted to engage the inner surface portion of the pertaining leg 3 or 4 respectively when the bars are moved to operative position, thereby limiting this upward swinging movement and preventng these bars 1 1 and 12 fromrocking upward beyond their hori zontal position.

In addition to these pairs of brace bars which connect the legs 3 and 4: ot the two units, there are also provided diagonal collapsible braces connecting the leg 8 of one supporting unit with the leg 4- 0f the other supporting unit. Thesecollapsible diagonal braces also comprise bars 16, 17 fixedly secured at their outer ends to the braces 12 and 11 respectively, as by the pivot bolts 13 and rivets 18. It is obvious, therefore, that upon extending the first described col-- lapsible braces 11, 12 the diagonal braces 16, 17 also will be extended, since the lat ter must move through the same angle. The inner ends of these diagonal braces 16, 17, therefore, are angularly offset as at 19 to occupy planes parallel to the planes ot the other braces 11, 12, and their outer ends are similarly ofi'set as at 20, and at these outer offset ends these diagonal braces 16, 17 are pivotally interconnected by a bolt or pivot pin 21;

It will be obvious from the above description that the entire stand can readily be moved from extended to collapsed position, and vice versa, by merely collapsing or extending respectively the two sets of pairs of braces 11, 12, while at the same time the diagonal braces 16, 17 are automatically moved also to the same condition. Owing to the angular extension 25' at the ends of the lateral brace bars 11, 12, a movement of these brace bars upward beyond the horizontal positionis effectively prevented, this upward movement being stopped; by the engagement of these angular extensions 25 with the inner surfaces of the corresponding flanges ot' the legs. \Vhen this movement has been stopped, the sleeve 15 may be placed over the overlapping alined ends of the brace bars 11, 1.2 which are then held rigidly in their extended position.

\Vhen it is desired to collapse the stand, the sleeve 15 is slid towards the pivoted endoi the bar 11 and the braces 11, 12 may then be swung about their outer pivots downward .to move the units 1 and2 towards each other to the desired extent or until the extensions 25 at the pivoted ends of these braces limit the movement of the units towards each other.

I claim:

1. A collapsible stand comprising a pair of supporting units, each consisting of two rigidly interconnected legs of angular crosssection, brace bars pivotally connected to the legs of said units, and pivotally interconnected in pairs between said units, sliding misses sleeves on one. of the bracesof each pair adapted to hold the braces of said pair 1nextended position, each of said braces hav ing an angular extension adjacent the pivotal supportlng points on the pertalning leg,

saidangular extension being adapted to endetermined direction from horizontal position.

2. A collapsible stand, comprising a pair of units each consisting of two rigidly interconnecting legs, braces arranged in pairs pivotally connected to the legs of the units and interconnected with each other, and diagonal braces arranged in pairs, one of said diagonal braces being connected with the braceot one pair and the other of said diagonal braces being connected with the other brace of a second pair.

A collapsible stand comprising units each consisting of a pair of rigidly con nected legs, eollapsiblebraces extending between corresponding legs of'said units, and diagonal collapsible braces fixedly connected with said first named braces at diagonally opposite points of said leg units. r

4. A collapsible stand comprising units each consisting of a pair of rigidly con nected legs, collapsible braces movably secured to corresponding legs of the two units and connecting said units, and diagonal braces movable together with said first named braces and extending substantially from one leg of one unit to the diagonally opposite leg of the other unit.

5. A collapsible stand, consisting of two supporting units, each comprising a pair of rigidly connected legs, sets of braces movably connected with the corresponding legs 01 the two units, and diagonal bracesfixedly connected with the braces between said units, said diagonal bracescomprising each a pair of brace bars pivotally interconnected at'angular ofiset portions, the outer ends of said diagonal brace members being angularly offset and fixedly connected with diagonally disposed members of said first named braces. i

6; A collapsible stand comprising units each consisting of a pair of rigidly connected legs, a pair of collapsible braces extending between corresponding legs of said units, means to lock said braces against collapse, and upper and lower two part diagonal collapsible bracesfixedly connected with said first named braces at diagonally opposite points of said leg units.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

ERNEST M. SIMS. 

